KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 25, 2023) – Hallmark is proud to announce the extension of its longest continual licensing agreement with beloved character brand Peanuts. The five-year renewal allows Hallmark to continue to produce popular Peanuts products in multiple categories, including greeting cards, gifts and Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, with more than 40 new, seasonal Peanuts products being released this year.
The longtime partnership between the two global brands spans 63 years, in which Hallmark and Peanuts have collaborated to produce billions of products. Peanuts products, and particularly those featuring Snoopy, have been a phenomenal success for Hallmark and remain perennial top sellers in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
Created and drawn by American cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950, Peanuts characters first appeared on Hallmark greeting cards in 1960 – 10 years after making their debut in the nation’s newspapers. As the cartoon strip’s popularity grew, so did Hallmark’s relationship with its creator. While Schulz personally designed the first greeting card collection, he soon gave Hallmark permission to design Peanuts products in-house.
“Our partnership with Peanuts started with admiration and grew into a mutually beneficial relationship built on trust and respect,” said Meredith McCormick, vice president of global licensing acquisitions at Hallmark. “The simplicity of Schulz’s drawings give his characters an appeal the public never tires of, and we look forward to continue building on his legacy by developing new Peanuts products that consumers can relate to for years to come.”
Over the decades, nearly every Hallmark product line has included Peanuts characters, including greeting cards, Keepsake Ornaments, gift wrap, books, candles, games, party supplies, stationary, gifts, seasonal collections and more. Hallmark first debuted Peanuts as part of its Keepsake Ornament collection in 1977, which remains the most popular Peanuts product line to date.
“The Peanuts and Hallmark relationship has lasted for over six decades because of the shared DNA of the two brands,” said Tim Erickson, Executive Vice President, Peanuts Worldwide. “Charles Schulz captured the human condition (the highs and the lows) in a comic strip and Hallmark’s product line offers unlimited ways to celebrate the best days and be there for others in tough times. We look forward to continuing to mark milestones together.”
New Peanuts Products
This year, Hallmark is releasing more than 40 new Peanuts products, including seasonal items in Hallmark’s spring, fall, Halloween and holiday collections. New Peanuts products that are now available include the following:
- Peanuts® Gang Checkered Throw Blanket
- Peanuts® Spread Joy Snoopy and Woodstock Color-Changing Umbrella
- Peanuts® Sunshine Vibe Snoopy Musical Plush With Motion
- Peanuts® Gang Happiness Is 550-Piece Puzzle
- Peanuts® Charlie Brown With Kite Novelty Crew Socks
- Peanuts® Lavender-Scented Ceramic Snoopy Candle
- Peanuts® All the Happy Snoopy Tea Towel
- Peanuts® Snoopy 2023 Graduation Gift Card Holder
- Peanuts® Bloom for Joy Floppy Snoopy Plush
- Peanuts® Charlie Brown Good Grief! Throw Pillow
Additional Peanuts products will be released with Hallmark’s new seasonal collections throughout the year including these Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.
Hallmark and Peanuts History
The Peanuts comic strip, featuring characters including Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Snoopy, made its first appearance on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers across the United States. The distinctive characters grew in popularity over the next decade, eventually catching the eye of Hallmark Editor Arnold Shapiro, who fostered the iconic partnership between the two legacy brands.
The broad popularity of Peanuts made it the perfect licensing partner for experimenting with new Hallmark product categories. In the 1960s, Hallmark produced books, boxed cards, candles, candleholders, greeting cards, gift wrap, party supplies and stationery, among other products. The line was extended to include albums, games, ornaments, party gifts, pencil erasers, pens, playing cards, pop-up books, stocking holders, plaques and much more in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Peanuts-themed address books, bookmarks, egg coloring kits, posters, puzzles and stickers were popular. In 1985, Peanuts greeting cards were translated into 12 languages, including Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Swedish.
Over the next several decades, Hallmark continued to advance the product range to include figurines, frames, miniature lunchboxes, sound cards, recordable storybooks, stuffed animals and more. Today, Hallmark sells greeting cards, gift wrap and related products in more than 30 languages with distribution in more than 100 countries and 100,000 rooftops worldwide.
Hallmark artists, designers and writers have turned to the company’s extensive archival collection for inspiration, and many of their final designs pay homage to Peanuts’ early history. Stored in a temperature-controlled vault, Hallmark’s archives house millions of pieces of historical Peanuts products, which have profoundly influenced new products.
To learn more about Hallmark, or to locate a Hallmark Gold Crown store, visit www.Hallmark.com.
About Peanuts
The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.
Media Contacts
Eva Gregory
Hallmark Cards, Inc.
newsroom@hallmark.com
